Snatched from the Serpent
by veridanna
Summary: AU, diverging from SG1 episode 201, "In the Serpent's Lair".
1. Chapter 1

Title: Snatched from the Serpent - Chapter 1.  
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, Samantha Carter, other SGC personal, various Tok'ra, a few OCs.  
Pairing: Daniel/Sha're (eventually). Nothing else planned yet but no promises! (if you cant cope without your OneTruePairing, I suggest waiting until it's finished and you can be sure)  
Summary: AU, diverging from SG1 episode 201, "In the Serpent's Lair". All members of SG1 are included. For now, it will be exploring the different end to Apophis'a invasion that I have devised and the ramifications that ripple through what would be the next few episodes in canon. I'm not sure how far it will go - it is definitely still a work-in-progress.  
Category: Adventure, angst, drama.  
Rating: PG-13 to be safe.  
Notes: I use the following conventions in this story: **Bold** is a goa'uld or tok'ra speaking, ~ denote host/symbiote communications. _Italics_ are used for (some) goa'uld words as well as for emphasis.

* * *

 _Earth, after the ha'tak's are gone._

It turned out that both Bra'tac and Teal'c were remarkably skilled pilots - somehow, despite damage from the exploding ha'taks, both gliders landed successfully at Kennedy Space Center. As it was under cover of darkness, a modicum of secrecy was preserved. From the space center to the SGC - Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Sam barely spoke. Daniel's absence weighed too heavily for talk.

Debriefings were done, Bra'tac returned to Chula, medical checks were completed, reports were made and SG1-sans-Daniel found themselves at loose ends far too soon. They gathered in Teal'c's quarters indulging in junk food and watching the most mindless cartoons that even Jack could find in the base's collection. Not much changed over the next few days - the truth was, while there was plenty to do, none of it was absorbing enough to distract them from their loss.

As the days crawled by, the transits to and from the alpha site slowed down and the base contemplated returning to normal operations. Hammond called SG1 to the briefing room. Characteristically, he was blunt. "We all miss Dr. Jackson. However, I need to know what you want to do now, Colonel. You can take some leave or not. You can continue as SG1, or we can re-assign any or all of you. If you wish to stay SG1, I have no problem with you remaining as a three person team for the time being, as we can assign others to work with you as needed."

Silence reigned before Teal'c spoke up. "I do not wish to be reassigned and I do not wish for any 'leave'."

Sam was next to speak. "I appreciate the offer of time off, but I don't think it would help, sir. Frankly, I'd rather be busy again."

Silence fell again as they all looked at Col. O'Neill.

Jack studied the table in front of him. All those little marks and scratches from the many, many meetings here.

"Sir?" Sam asked softly.

"What?" Jack snapped before grabbing for his self-control again. "Sorry, Carter. Just… thinking." He looked up after another long stretch of silence to find them all waiting. Hammond with his quiet look of sympathy, Carter with her eyes red-rimmed yet again and Teal'c with his stoic understanding. "I don't want leave either, and I'd prefer to keep SG1 as it is for now. Sir."

"In that case, we have several possible missions that you can consider." Hammond laid out the options and they talked it over before deciding which one. They would be off-world again tomorrow morning, after a more detailed briefing.

* * *

 _Klorel's ha'tak, shortly before the C4 explodes._

Decla and Elin knew something was deeply wrong. To delay the attack on the _Tau'ri_ world below was not at all like Apophis and Klorel had been even more eager when the attack was planned. Prudence dictated they remained where they were; to break cover was always the last resort.

~ Prudence and patience are not the only way. ~

 **~ No. ~**

Elin waited for the usual admonition that Decla had many centuries of experience and Elin's longing to do something more than watch was only going to get them killed. It did not come. ~ We should at least investigate. ~

Decla was thinking; she did not answer her host immediately.

~ It won't be that dangerous. Everyone else is cowering in their hidey holes. ~

 **~ To do other than stay out of danger would be out of character. ~**

~ Fortune favours the bold. Even among the Goa'uld. ~

Decla would normally take this as an invitation to debate. However, something - intuition built from those centuries of experience - told her that now was not the time. Decision made, she wasted no time; her _kara'kesh_ was checked and her healing device tucked into a pocket and she slipped away from her station and towards the _peltac_.

The corridors were unusually silent. True, the _ha'tak_ carried far fewer jaffa than usual, but even with that allowed for, Decla could almost feel the unease of the rest permeating the air. It did not take long to reach the _peltac_ and here, it was not all silent. Soft crackles betrayed damaged circuitry and the marks of staff blasts still smoldered and hissed. She paused to look down at a dead jaffa and noted he had been killed by some kind of primitive - but effective - projectile weapon. Continuing on, a slight movement caught her eye and after a few more steps, she was looking down at a human who was undoubtedly one of the perpetrators.

Daniel knew he was dying. Well, he was dying if he did not get help and as his teammates had gone, he would just have to help himself. The sarcophagus was not far. He could make it. He _would_ make it. The sound of soft footsteps broke his concentration and he saw her enter. She paused by one of the dead jaffa and then continued. Daniel still had his weapon - when the goa'uld stopped only a foot away from him, he could not miss. He swung it up, firing towards her face.

Decla reacted fast and the projectiles were deflected - barely - by her _kara'kesh_. Shoving the weapon from his reach and pinning the human in place, she continued to the main console and took note of what it reported. Returning to the human, she knelt beside him. **"Who are you?"** she demanded.

He laughed mirthlessly and glared, defiant despite his injuries. "It doesn't matter," he said mockingly. "We are both about to die."

Decla did not move. True, he was injured… but it did not appear that the injuries, although painful, would necessarily be fatal. She considered his clothes, his weapon, his actions. **"Tau'ri,"** she murmured. **"It is your world below us."**

"And it will remain ours. We will never accept the Goa'uld back. Never!"

~ Decla… ~

 **~ Do you think… ~**

~ The shields are down on the first Ha'tak. In such a case, even 'primitive' weapons might be a danger. ~

Decla acknowledged the point.

 **"Human… Tau'ri… what have you done?"** she asked softly.

Daniel tried to move - but the goa'uld device held him fast. Strange… it wasn't hurting him either. "Why would I tell you?"

 **"If you wish to live, you must tell me."** Decla studied his face and considered the evidence. A number of Jaffa were dead, Klorel was gone, there was damage, and her instincts were prickling.

Daniel laughed again. "Must? _Must?_ I told you! We are both about to die!"

~ Decla… ~

 **~ It cannot be possible. ~**

~ Remember what we saw when we scanned the planet. Dare we assume so much? ~

It was a risk. To run at this point was at least forfeiture of their goa'uld identies… but such a thing was better than death. Decla spent a heartbeat in consideration before making a decision. She deactivated the _kara'kesh_ and hauled the human to his feet. **" _Kel nok shree goa'uld_. Come."**

Daniel did not wish to co-operate but the startling statement and the pain from his injuries distracted him and they were moving before his mind caught up.

Decla paused by a console, activating a small viewscreen. To her relief, the startled countenance of her colleague looked back at her. _**"Kree chappa'ai!"**_ she snapped before flicking it off and continuing.

Daniel had caught his breath. It hurt - he stumbled. To his surprise, the goa'uld (or not-goa'uld) caught him before he could fall and somewhat impatiently shifted position so he could lean on her as they moved. His mind whirled - she had spoken to someone… they were going to the stargate. It was the only way out, he knew. Would it be better to take the chance to live - and the risk of, well, anything - versus the certainty of death?

Decla was slowed by the need to assist the human without harming him further and when they reached the chappa'ia, Remiru was already waiting by the dialing device. **"Iria."** she said and a few moments later, blue lit up the room. They went through - and then dialed another world, and another and another until they had passed through a full seven gates and reached a comfortable - and safely uninhabited - world.

Daniel did not fight them - he hurt too much and before long, they were almost carrying him. While they had not stopped, he recognized their actions as those of people who wanted to avoid being followed. Presumably then, they were not friends to Apophis. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he muttered to himself as they waited for yet another wormhole to connect.

By the time Decla felt safe enough to stop and find a place to sit and talk, Daniel was near enough to unconscious as to make no practical difference. Remiru helped her silently and once a suitable distance from the chaapa'ai, she settled him on the soft grass and pulled out her healing device.

 **"Do we get an explanation yet?"** Remiru was junior to Decla, but not so junior that he would not have his say.

 **"He is one of the Tau'ri."** Decla answered absently, busy checking for injuries beyond the obvious.

 **"And?"**

 **"I believe they had sabotaged the ha'tak."**

 **"That's absurd!"**

Decla glanced up, half surprised and half amused by the emphatic comment. **"No. They had obviously penetrated the security; a number of jaffa were dead and the _peltac_ damaged. Klorel was missing and the shields on the first ha'tak were down. Their planet is both very populous and advanced enough to have powerful explosives and the beginning of space travel. As Elin reminds me, the desperate must not be underestimated."**

Remiru closed his eyes and sighed. **"On the basis of so little, we flee?"**

 **"Our people need us alive."**

 **"But…"**

 **"Hush. I must mend the Tau'ri."**

Daniel woke slowly. There was no pain. He was lying on something soft but not artificial. Grass, his mind supplied after a moment. Then memory came rushing back, his eyes flew open and he sat up in a panic. The movement left him dizzy and the light was annoyingly bright. A hand came down on his shoulder.

"Steady."

The voice was human. Daniel blinked and blinked again. He could not see… ah… his glasses. The unknown beside him put them into his hands.

"You were badly hurt. Decla has mended your injuries but you will need time to recover your strength."

Glasses on and eyes adjusted to the light, Daniel looked at the young man beside him. Despite his human voice, he was dressed as goa'uld. Unwilling to answer immediately, he looked around. They were in a small glade surrounded by very pretty forest. The sky was blue, the grass green but somehow, he didn't think this was Earth. "Umm… thank you, I guess. Decla… is she…"

 **"I am here."**

At the characteristic goa'uld tone, Daniel jumped and twisted slightly to see the goa'uld (or not-goa'uld) who had hauled him off the ha'tak. Memory surfacing, he now matched the one sitting beside him to the one who had been waiting for them at the gate. He folded his arms across his chest, he expression wary - and he stayed silent.

Decla sighed. **"As I said, _kel nok shree goa'uld_. However, I understand your caution."**

Yuri was startled. "Decla! What are you about?"

Decla gave her friend a slight smile. **"I am thinking of what would have happened if I had not acted on my instincts."**

Yuri's eyes flashed as Remiru came forward. **"You do not know what has happened. You are extrapolating wildly from almost nothing!"**

Daniel jumped and edged sideways. He had suspected they were both goa'ulds. Now he knew they were.

 **"Tau'ri."** Decla let Remiru glare at her as she turned to the human. She was sure she had chosen correctly. **"There is a stream behind us if you want a drink, or to wash. We do not have any spare clothing though."**

It was not what Daniel had expected. "Um… I guess… Am I prisoner?"

 **"No."** Decla said with finality. **"The chappa'ai is a short distance that way,"** she continued quietly, pointing to their left. **"And this world is uninhabited. But we have no information on the status of your world, although we hope your efforts on the ha'tak have saved it. Still, I very much wish to talk to you before you go - or if you need assistance returning to your people or finding a safe place to go, I will give it."**

Daniel did not answer; he just got up and turned. The stream was indeed just behind them and he walked to it, wondering all the time if he was really free to go. Neither of the two stopped him - indeed, their attention appeared to be focused on each other. A drink and a bit of a wash did leave him feeling better and he walked back into an argument.

 **"… And I still say you are risking far too much on vague presumptions!"**

Decla saw the tau'ri return and held up her hand to halt Remiru's censure. **"You may say it but I am still senior to you and I do not feel my reasoning insufficient."**

Daniel stopped. "If you don't mind, I would like to check exactly where the stargate - chaapa'ai - is."

 **"Of course."** Decla followed him and after about fifty meters, the tree cover ceased and the chaapa'ai could be seen, standing at the far edge of a large clearing. All was quiet.

Daniel looked and then sighed. He had no GDO, even if his code wasn't locked out - he would have to go home indirectly. "How long have I been here?"

 **"About a quarter of a day. Will you talk with me now?"**

Daniel sighed again. "I guess that depends what you want to talk about."

 **"Come back to the glade then."**

Wondering yet again if he was making a mistake, Daniel followed her back.

Once the three of them were settled - Decla and Daniel where the grass was softest, Remiru a bit further away, Decla began. **"I am thinking - presuming - that when you spoke of dying, you had done something to the ha'tak."**

Daniel pondered this. By now, what was going to happen must have already happened. "Umm.. yes. We put bombs in there.

Remiru cut in impatiently. **"How could you have known where to put bombs?"**

"Umm… We had help." Daniel wondered if he should admit but then... Teal'c never hid who he had been. "The, ah, former first prime of Apophis."

 **"The shol'va."** Decla said softly. **"We had heard we was working with the Tau'ri."**

"Yes. So… um… yes. If we had stayed there, we would be dead."

Remiru did not seem convinced.

Decla moved on. **"Your people - you visited other worlds? To attack the goa'uld?"**

"We have cause."

 **"There is no shortage of cause. It is not a terribly safe thing to be doing but as my host regularly reminds me, timidity is not necessarily any safer."**

"Your _host_ reminds you?" Daniel was shocked at the implication.

 **"We are Tok'ra."** Decal said calmly.

 **"Decla!"** Remiru cried.

Daniel blinked and blinked again. "To'kra?" He did not accent the word quite right.

 **"Tok'ra. Yes. Or in the common tongue, Those Against Ra."**

"Tok'ra. Tok Ra."

 **"Yes."**

Daniel looked at them. They looked like goa'uld. But they did not act like goa'uld. Was it possible? "When I first woke up… was I speaking to…"

 **"Yuri. Yes, Yuri is Remiru's host. Tok'ra accept only a willing host and we share. Our hosts are our partners - they work with us, share their lives with us by their own free will."** Decla paused, her head tilted as if she was listening to something. **"My host is Elin. She wants to talk to you."**

Daniel nodded in something of a daze. As he watched, Decla bowed her head and when she looked up, Daniel caught his breath at the merry, mischievous smile that graced her face.

"Hi. I'm Elin."

"I… I'm Daniel."

"Nice to meet you, Daniel. I'll even forgive you for trying to kill us."

 **~ Elin! You are outrageous! ~**

"I… ah… Alright, you sound different, but I already know a goa'uld can imitate it's host pretty damn well so how the heck can I know it is the host speaking?"

"True, they can." Elin's lilting tones darkened to something more serious. "You can _not_ know. A goa'uld, by nature, can control it's host. There is no easy way to be sure, not beyond using drugs we know will send the symbiote to sleep. Some advanced technology can tell also, but a people who can do that would not have been troubled by a few ha'tak's. So you can only take my - our - word for it. Right now, I am in control and I am Elin, host to Decla of the Tok'ra."

Daniel sat in silence, turning all this over and over in his mind. He was not prepared to believe… but it was compelling enough that he could not reject it entirely. The two Tok'ra waited paitently until at last, Daniel spoke again. "Did you have anything else to ask me?"

"Much that I am curious about but Decla is still thinking over what it would be reasonable to ask. We do not think you want to give us any information that might be used against you or your people which is frustrating my curiousity immensely!"

Daniel half smiled at the seemingly young woman in front of him. _Bubbly._ he thought wryly to himself. _What did Sam say once? Oh yes. Perky blond teenage cheerleader. Standard victim type in horror movies._ "May I ask something then?"

"Of course. Although, we do not promise to -" Elin froze mid sentence and Remiru tensed. Her eyes flashed as Decla took control. **"The chaapa'ai have been activated. We must check..."**

 **" _I_ will check. You stay here with the tau'ri."** said Remiru softly starting in that direction.

"Oh no, I want to see for myself!" Daniel exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.

Both Tok'ra stared at him for a moment before Decla shrugged and stood. **"Then we will all go, if you can stay quiet."**


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Snatched from the Serpent - Chapter 2.  
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, Samantha Carter, other SGC personal, various Tok'ra, a few OCs.  
Pairing: Daniel/Sha're (eventually). Nothing else planned yet but no promises! (if you cant cope without your OneTruePairing, I suggest waiting until it's finished and you can be sure.)  
Summary: AU, diverging from SG1 episode 201, "In the Serpent's Lair". All members of SG1 are included. I'm not sure how far it will go - it is definitely still a work-in-progress.  
Category: Adventure, angst, drama.  
Rating: PG-13 to be safe.  
Notes: I use the following conventions in this story: **Bold** is a goa'uld or tok'ra speaking, ~ denote host/symbiote communications. _Italics_ are used for (some) goa'uld words as well as for emphasis.

Events that happened in the episode _Prisoner_ occur here in a changed form. If you aren't familar with the episode, you might want to skim an outline of it so it makes more sense.

Oh and I -adore- getting reviews. _Please_ tell me what you think of it!

* * *

 _Earth_

SG1's mission to P2Z-220 was depressingly mundane. Despite looking significantly weirder than most alien planets, no one and nothing disturbed them as Sam measured, checked and recorded an inordinate amount of data about the twin suns. Whoever it was who had had left footprints in front of the stargate – something that had suggested it was inhabited – did not show themselves. They reported back, went through their checks and debriefing and not one thing unexpected thing happened to divert them.

An hour after the were finished, Sam found Jack standing in the corridor next to the door to Daniel's lab. "Sir."

"Carter."

"Did you… I mean, I asked, sir, but no one's been in. General Hammond said it was up to us."

Jack was silent some more, just looking at the door. "Think Daniel's got any plants in there needing water?"

Sam found herself with a little half-smile. Colonel O'Neill was still Colonel O'Neill and that was… a comfort. "No idea, sir."

"Right." Jack stared at the door for a moment then turned and scowled at Sam. "Well?"

"Sir?"

"Aren't you going to go in?"

By this point, Sam knew her CO well enough that she let her eyebrows lift just a little to show she recognized the absurdity in the words. "I might need a hand, sir. With the plants."

So they both went in and wandered around Daniel's lab. Much of it was tidy and organised – the books on the shelf, the filing cabinet with neatly labelled files. Some of it was anything but tidy – the pile of journals, books and papers Daniel had been working on before his little side trip to an alternate universe was shoved into a heap to clear space for notes on Apophis and his attack. A stack of folders, each with a set of photos of alien text taken by other SG teams was still waiting in the in-tray.

In the end, the only 'plant' life discovered was something growing at the bottom of a forgotten coffee mug.

"No one else is coming in here, right?" Jack couldn't help scowling at the whiteboard. It was covered in some absurd set of squiggles. "Carter?"

"Um…" Sam's attention had been captured by a small notebook. "What? No! Sir, the other archaeologists have all said they don't need anything in here urgently." She picked up the notebook and started to page through it. As she read, the tears started to well and standing here, with a Daniel shaped hole in her universe, she couldn't stop them.

"Carter?" Jack was fiddling with some strange little doohickey thing. Some annoying little toy puzzle thing. He heard a sniffle and hastily pivoted. "Carter," he repeated, mostly in the panicked tone of a male faced with feminine tears with just an smidgen of bleak empathy slipping through. "What's that?"

Sam sniffed again and, with the help of a tissue, managed to slow the trickle of tears. "It's Daniel's notes on Sha're… every piece of information he came across that might help find her, where he thought it fitted in and what it might mean."

"Ah _hell._ " Jack hauled his mind away from the thought of Sha're – and Skaara – and walked over to shut the notebook firmly. "Put it somewhere safe, Carter. We're heading out for pizza."

* * *

Two days later, the SGC finally had something break the routine. SG-2 was on a routine recon mission to a presumed uninhabited planet when they went missing. SG-3 went to investigate; they returned a few hours later.

There wasn't room for many extras in the briefing room; Jack sidestepped the formality of asking and joined General Hammond in debriefing SG-3. It was hard not to stare at the the packs and GDOs that sat mutely on the table.

Hammond reached out and slowly picked up a GDO. "They just handed you SG-2's weapons and remote transmitters? Offered no further explanation?"

"Only that they had been accused of a crime and sent through the Stargate to some sort of prison." Major Warren answered somberly, his own gaze sliding to the table. Behind him, his team mates stood in heavy silence.

"Crime? What crime? Ferretti wouldn't –"

"Colonel." Hammond interrupted Jack sharply.

Warren looked between the two, unsure of exactly what he should do. But when Hammond nodded for him to continue, he did. "They said it wasn't my concern and sent me straight to the Stargate. I was going to take my men back—"

Hammond held up a hand to stop him. "No, you did the right thing returning to base. From what you tell me, this has become a diplomatic problem. That means SG-9."

SG-3 were then released for standard post-mission checks and to make their reports for SG-9. Hammond did not dismiss Jack, but waited for him to register that.

It took a minute for the silence to penetrate – Jack kept turning the GDO he had taken from the table over and over in his hand. _Daniel didn't have one of these when I left him._ The blanket of guilt was as thick as ever. Shoving it away, he looked up. "Sir?"

"Colonel O'Neill, your presence in that debriefing was not requested.."

Jack didn't move, his gaze locked on his CO. "Feretti is… damn it sir! You know why I needed to be here!"

Hammond sighed. "We all know, Colonel. But it looks like what he needs now is diplomats and that's not your specialty."

Jack still didn't move.

"You're dismissed, Colonel. And I'm still waiting for your last mission report!"

In the end, SG-1 didn't contribute much to SG-2's recovery. SG-9, after exhaustive negotiations, secured the gate address where they had been sent – the prison planet 'Hadante' – and SG-3 together with SG-10 handled the extraction. Sam was the only one to play a part when she put together the generator they used to manually dial out.

* * *

"You're moping."

"And a fine day it is for moping, Dr. Frasier."

Jack's sarcasm was not at it's best but it was one of the snarkiest tones that Janet could recall from him, and that was saying something.

"Colonel O'Neill, enough." Janet said firmly. "You're in my infirmary because you muttered something about a headache – "

"Which was an entirely private muttering, not meant for anyone else."

"- and the airman very properly passed the information along resulting in General Hammond ordering you here."

"Out of the goodness of his heart, Doc, out of the goodness of his heart."

"Colonel, whether or not you have a headache, I can't say since you won't tell me, but I can say you're quite healthy enough for duty -"

"Fabulous! I'll get out of your way!"

"- but I still have some orders for you."

Jack didn't answer that one – he just looked warily at the most tyrannical person on the entire base.

"Either take some leave or get busy. I'm passing the word that if anyone sees you just hanging around, they are to report it to me. Too many reports of idle-hands, Colonel, and I'll get drastic."

Jack couldn't immediately say he appreciated being given a kick out of the little black wallow of guilt he'd been digging for himself, but after four days of non-stop busyness, he had to concede – if only to himself – that it helped. Then SG-5 disappeared – with Sam.

They had been on a mission to P3R-636 where the locals were mining naquadah. Jack was fairly sure Carter had raved about it sometime recently – apparently, it had a lot of potential. She had gone along with SG-5 because Jack had been tied up in training exercises and Teal'c had discovered that there were some things that even a jaffa couldn't metabolize fast and Dr. Frasier was running a series of tests.

And now SG-5 and Sam were missing.

* * *

 _An uninhabited planet, somewhere in the galaxy._

'Quiet' was a difficult word to define. Daniel could not but compare Jack's definition to that of the two… 'tok'ra': the memory of the time Jack had put him through a training session so he 'didn't crash around the forest like a rhinoceros', Daniel had come close to declaring him sadistic. But right now, that training was barely adequate – the tok'ra seemed little more than shadows as the three of them sought a place to observe the stargate undetected.

What they saw pleased none of them. A dozen jaffa were systematically checking the area around the gate. Evidently they were satisfied before long because a goa'uld came through the gate, escorted by more jaffa and followed by a handful of human slaves carrying baggage. It was at that point that Decla signaled a retreat.

They returned to the glade but paused only to check for evidence of their presense. A few scraps of fabric from Daniel's BDUs were spotted by the stream and retrieved before they continued to move away from the gate… and the jaffa. In the circumstances, Daniel did not object. Whether or not the two with him were evil goa'ulds, the one at the gate definitely was.

Eventually, after more than an hour, they paused by another stream – this one a tiny trickle – to have a drink and confer.

"I was too far away to see the jaffa's markings." Daniel began softly.

It was Ramiru who answered. **"It was Farooq. A very, very** ** _minor_** **System Lord."**

Beside him, Elin grimaced. "In fact, the only reason he could be deemed a _System Lord_ is because he rules – or ruled – a planet all by himself, answering to no other goa'uld. In reality, he had less power and influence than most goa'uld who serve in a court."

"Oh." Daniel added the information to what he'd learned from Teal'c about goa'uld society. It didn't really fit.

 **"** **He ruled his own planet because no one else** ** _wanted_** **that planet. It had no strategic value, no redeeming resources and wasn't even aesthetically pleasing. About it's only virtue was that it was self-sufficient."** Remiru sounded decidedly annoyed.

Elin dipped her head and Decla looked up. **"Farooq had most of his household with him. He would never travel indirectly with such an entourage if there was not something amiss."**

Daniel sighed and shoved his glasses back up his nose. "Maybe someone decided they did want his planet."

 **"** **Maybe,"** was all Decla answered with as she stood up. **"There will be time to speculate later. For now, we need more distance and a place to shelter. With any luck, Farooq does not plan to stay long."**

The trek continued. They could not go very fast – to leave any trace of their presence was too dangerous. However, as twilight fell, they were approaching a huge cliff wall, The trees grew right up to the cliff face, although the heavily rounded boulders did force them to thin out some. Walking along the cliff face, Remiru was the one to spy a cave entrance that was already partially concealed and which could be better concealed with a little careful work.

As Decla investigated it's suitability, Daniel found himself beginning to shiver. Night had fallen and the temperature was plummeting. Remembering his beanie and gloves, he pulled them from his pockets and put them on slowly – but nothing would help the hole in the shoulder of his jacket!

 **"** **It will suffice. Come."**

It was a bit of a scramble. Obviously neither to'kra found it a problem but when Daniel struggled to get up the last bit, Remiru lost patience and hauled him up. "Um… ah… thank you." Daniel stammered. The cave was entirely dark – he could see nothing. Remiru did not answer but a few moments later, Daniel was tugged along, stumbling until they were some distance from the entrance.

Suddenly, there was light – and heat. It was very little light really, but after the absoluteness of the the darkness, it was painfully bright to Daniel's eyes. When they adjusted, he saw Decla using her hand device on a small, well rounded stone. "That's… handy," he commented. When there was no response, he sighed inwardly. He talked too much.

~ I think Daniel is feeling ignored, _haanweil_. ~

 **~ You can talk to him later. ~**

~ He looks all lost and lonely. ~

 **~ Not when he was trying to kill us, he wasn't. ~**

~ That was before he got to know us. ~

 **~ He doesn't know us. At best, he has proved himself a rational human. ~**

~ Mmmmm… ~

 **~ Elin, he's not one of your** ** _golshwyth_** **. ~**

~ I didn't say he was! ~

 **~ You don't need to** ** _say_** **it. ~**

When the chunk of ancient basalt was sufficiently warm to keep them – including the tau'ri – in reasonable comfort for a while, Decla deactivated and removed the _kara'kesh_. **"Any thoughts, Remiru?"**

The other tok'ra glanced over from where he say, moodily staring toward the cave entrance. However, Yuri was the one who answered. "No. We have no information, nothing we can do but wait."

Decla grimaced at the surly tone. She was tired – and her host was definitely wanting her turn. **~ If you do not mind, I would like to rest.~** Decla paused and pressed a wordless admonishment to be sensible over Elin. **~ Talk to your** ** _golshwyth_** **if you wish. ~**

~ I love you too, Decla. ~ Elin answered, entirely undaunted. Taking control of their shared body back, she turned to where Daniel was staring –almost as moodily as Yuri – at the hot rock. "It is a simple thing. The _kara'kesh_ transfers energy to the rock and the rock then radiates it as heat and a little bit of light."

Daniel started and managed a half smile. "Well, it's useful. We don't have much else in here... Elin."

Elin glanced around with a glint of humor in her eyes. "Why no, I don't believe we _do_ have much," she began in a teasing tone. "I must put in a complaint _at once!_ No bed, no table, no chairs. Gracious, there isn't even any cushions! Insupportable! Absolutely insupportable!"

Daniel's couldn't help being amused – Elin's sunny cheerfulness appeared to be irrepressible. "No food, no books."

Elin gasped in mock horror. "You'd complain about the _lack_ of books? Why, I consider that one of the few things they got right!" She smiled, that merry mischievous smile, for just a moment. "But on a more serious note, I am sorry about the food aspect. We don't carry any so we have none right now, but we know this planet well enough that we can find something in the morning."

"Can you tell me about it? This planet I mean…"

"Of course!" It was a safe subject, and potentially useful. Elin explained that it was a planet in a deep ice-age – only a narrow band remained a temperate climate along the equator. Moreover, most of the equator was ocean and therefore, only a very small area was genuinely habitable. However, that was – luckily – where the chaapa'ai was located. Most likely due to the ice-age, there was no large or even medium sized animals.

Daniel determined after some back and forth that the largest native animal here must be about the size of the average rabbit. He described that creature and was rewarded with a laugh.

"Rabbit! My homeworld calls them _whinjen_. If they are not the same, they seem very similar! Indeed, I have seen very similar seeming creatures on quite a few worlds."

When the talk of the planet drifted to a halt, Daniel asked about the goa'uld who was – apparently inadvertently – trapping them here.

Elin creased her brow in thought. "I do not know much more than we have said already. The last information we had on him was from several decades ago. However, had there been any major change in his situation, it would have been mentioned."

Yuri, who had stayed a surly presence until now, turned around. "Whenever we are with our people, between assignments, we are given updates on any major changes. Farooq was exceedingly minor in importance, but even so, had anything happened before our assignment to Apophis, we would have heard. It must be a recent change."

"There is no chance he is just… ah… passing through?"

Elin shrugged. "We hope he is just passing through! This planet, while an excellent place for a stop over, is not well suited to anything permanent. The planet's year is very long, hmmm… maybe ten times the length of the Tau'ri year, and that means the winter is very long also. Not suited for growing things."

"On the other hand, we are only a third of the way into the summer. It will be a long time before winter." Yuri said soberly. "If Farooq is looking for somewhere to hide temporarily, he could comfortably stay here for quite a while before reaching that limitation."

The thought was not appealing to any of them.

However, after a few moments, Elin shrugged. "If Farooq does plan to stay, he will not setup his camp right next to the chaapa'ai, in case whoever they are hiding from comes looking. We should be able to get away, as long as they do not suspect our presence here.

Daniel sighed and then mentally shook himself. He was alive, his injuries were gone and while he was reserving judgement on whether the _tok'ra_ had been truthful to him or not, if he went only by their behavior… they were not his enemy. " _The enemy of my enemy is my friend,_ " he whispered to himself.

"A useful saying, if one doesn't rely on it too much."

Daniel started and looked at Yuri and the distance between them. It was a good six or eight feet and Daniel had whispered very softly.

Yuri huffed in sudden amusement. "Tok'ra – or goa'uld – have very good hearing," he said dryly. "And right now, I am listening very hard for anything outside."

"And I say you should go to sleep, Daniel." Elin chimed in gently. "We do not need the rest time you do, and I know you must be tired.

They had a point. Daniel mulled it over and then gave up. If they were planning anything, they had already had plenty of opportunity. In as much as he could, he made himself comfortable and slept.

* * *

The following words are from the language of Elin's homeworld. They're based on welsh, as that is the culture it's founders were taken from.

 _haanweil =_ beloved/darling/dear one

 _golshwyth_ = lost ones, in this context, it matches up also with 'waifs' and 'strays'. It is mostly a tease between Decla and Elin as Elin is frequently taking someone she sees as needing help 'under her wing' for lack of a better phrase.

 _whinjen_ = rabbit. Yes, I decided that rabbits have been spread across the galaxy too. ;)

* * *

A/N: just a little reassurance here - Elin's interest in Daniel is not romantic. She's just the kind of girl who can't resist trying to take care of and fix the problems of anyone who looks left out or lonely or otherwise in need of a friend. She and Decla do, in fact, have mates among the Tokra.

Also, having gone through it all backwards and forwards as I prepped this chapter, this is _not_ a Sam/Jack fic. But neither of them get with anyone else, ok? They're friends and teammates and attraction to each other (or anyone else) is just not on their mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Snatched from the Serpent - Chapter 3.  
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, Samantha Carter, other SGC personal, various Tok'ra, a few OCs.  
Pairing: Daniel/Sha're (eventually). Nothing else planned yet but no promises! (if you cant cope without your OneTruePairing, I suggest waiting until it's finished and you can be sure.)  
Summary: AU, diverging from SG1 episode 201, "In the Serpent's Lair". All members of SG1 are included. I'm not sure how far it will go - it is definitely still a work-in-progress.  
Category: Adventure, angst, drama.  
Rating: PG-13 to be safe.  
Notes: I use the following conventions in this story: **Bold** is a goa'uld or tok'ra speaking, ~ denote host/symbiote communications.

Events that happened in the episode _Need_ occur here in a changed form. If you aren't familar with the episode, you might want to skim an outline of it so it makes more sense.

I'm sorry this took longer to post than I intended - Daniel-in-my-head is sulking. I think it has to do what I put him through in a future chapter. ;)

* * *

Daniel did not like sand but he supposed it was better than the rock that had been his alternative sleeping surface. Opening his eyes, he thought for a moment it will still dark but no, it was merely that the morning light barely reached this far away from the small cave entrance. Moving was hard – his muscles cramped and protested after such an uncomfortable sleep but Daniel persevered and as he sat up, he heard someone approaching.

 **"** **Daniel."** Remiru's disinterest was clear. **"Are you well?"**

"Oh, just peachy." Daniel muttered, stretching gingerly.

Remiru's eyes flashed.

Daniel flinched.

Satisfied he'd conveyed his irritation, Remiru guided Daniel out of the cave. **"Decla is checking the jaffa. We need to find food."**

Daniel tried not to react outwardly, but from the Tok'ra expression, he knew he wasn't keeping it all to himself. _Nothing's changed,_ he reminded himself. All the arguments for co-operating were intact, they didn't go away because Remiru wasn't a morning… person.

Two hours later, Daniel wasn't so sure. Remiru – he hadn't heard a word from Yuri so far today – was anything but pleasant company, and virtually everything he said was couched as a demand or an order. The only redeeming factor was that he had worked as hard as he had made Daniel do, first in creating temporary containers for what they gathered, second in the actual gathering.

The last task, as they returned to their temporary shelter, was to catch fish at the nearby stream. Remiru didn't bother to ask Daniel to do that – he could dig up some clay to bake them in instead. Still – lying down along the edge of the water, one arm in the chilly water as he waited patiently for a suitable fish to come close enough to be caught, Remiru's mood finally eased and by the time he had acquired three he was feeling very nearly mellow.

~Cold water.~ Yuri muttered to Remiru. ~Woke me up.~

Remiru sent a wordless hug. **~Sissy.~** he answered affectionately before showing Yuri the memories of what he had done while his host slept.

~I will never like the cold.~ Yuri answered and flashed the thought of an insincere pout before looking through the memories. It did not take long. ~You have not been very nice.~

 **~Niceness is not my thing.~**

~But must you be so antagonistic?~

Remiru 'shrugged'. **~Probably not. However, you will not convince me to care very much about this nuisance of a human that Decla and Elin are so pleased to have found.~**

Yuri gave up. He couldn't really argue either – he foresaw little but trouble coming from this.

Goa'uld and Tok'ra physiology was such that their sleep requirements were entirely different to that of their human hosts; when pressed, they could do without sleeping for as much as a week before suffering adverse effects. Decla was not anywhere near that point, but after the stressful hours watching Lord Farooq, the jaffa and slaves by the chaapa'ai, she was tired. She passed on the basics to Remiru and, leaving Elin awake and in control, took a nap.

Elin appreciated it. When on a mission, there was virtually no opportunity for her to be fore while Decla slept and as they had been almost 8 months away from home, Elin had reached the point of missing it. True, they were tightly blended and were the silence in her head to go on too long, she would find it very distressing – but even blended Tok'ra enjoyed occasional privacy for their thoughts. "Yuri, let me do that," she said as she noticed her friend trimming a small stick of wood.

Yuri handed it over with a smile. "It's meant to be a spoon," he noted wryly. "Of a kind anyway. There is fish stuffed with roots under there." The hollow which Remiru had lined in rock for a primitive oven was pointed to – buried as it was now, it was not obvious.

"Mmmm. Clay-wrapped, I presume?" Elin examined the wood in her hands – it was very fine grained and soft. "Where's Daniel?"

"In the cave; I'd say he was sulking. Remiru was rather short with him."

Elin grimaced and after a moment of thought, took her task and went in search of the Tau'ri.

* * *

Captain Samantha 'Sam' Carter brought her pick down on the rock a bit harder than necessary and regretted it when a sharp chip of ore grazed her shoulder.

"Ouch," said someone behind her.

She turned to see Lt. Barber rubbing his arm. "Sorry, Lieutenant," she said, trying to keep her frustration in check.

"No problem, sir." David Barber, second lieutenant and newest member of SG-5 replied rather wryly. "Though, I gotta say… I'm surprised they aren't working us harder."

"You want this to be _worse_?" asked Maj. Andrew Kelly, SG-5's leader.

"No sir…" David paused in his reply as a guard walked past. "It's just that… this place doesn't make sense."

ooooooooooooooooo

Not very far away, Teal'c expressed the same sentiment. "They are not acting like jaffa, O'Neill."

"Uh huh. So what are they, boy scouts?" Jack was frustrated. They'd come through the gate with SG-2, barely evaded contact with the locals and spent three hours watching the mines. Thus far, no one had sighted SG-5 or Sam. Below their vantage point on the hill, they saw one of the guards aim a blow at one of the workers, and scream something in the local language.

"I do not know," answered Teal'c softly. "But jaffa would not speak as that one did. The language –"

"Is all wrong," broke in Maj. Feretti grimly.

Jack considered for a moment. "Right. We need to grab one of them."

Jaffa were not usually easy targets, but it took SG-2 less than ten minutes to find one alone and haul him off – once away from the rest, the puzzle of the unusual behaviour and language was solved in two seconds flat – there was no symbiote pouch. The false 'jaffa' required very little encouragement to talk and what was going on finally made sense. With a little bit more prodding, the now very helpful 'jaffa' even directed them to where the newest prisoners could be found.

* * *

Daniel's thoughts were annoyingly circular. He had repeatedly gone through the events since Decla had showed up on the ha'tak, trying to see where he could have done something different, something that would have meant he wasn't stuck heaven only knew how far from home in such company. Each time, he went through his decisions, he couldn't see a better one and therefore he was quite frustrated when Elin appeared.

"Busy morning, Daniel?"

A muttered 'yeah' was all she got for a reply.

Elin tried again. "Did you sleep alright? I know it wasn't the most comfortable place but, -"

"Fine, ok!"

"Ok? What does that mean?"

Daniel couldn't quite supress his instincts; he explained the slang and twenty minutes later, found he had just had an enjoyable discussion about linguistics and his mood was considerably improved. "Did you do that on purpose?"

Elin smiled. She'd finished shaping the 'spoon' and had taken up some sand and a suitably sized stone to smooth the shape out. "Oh… sort of on purpose, I guess. Here." She held it out. "You'll need this to eat the fish. I presume Remiru caught it, yes?"

"Umm… yeah. Just with his hands." Daniel accepted the spoon and turned it over in his hands. It reminded him of Abydos in its simplicity and the memory of sharing meals with Sha're abruptly caught up with him.

"How else would you catch fish?"

"Umm… a line? With a hook?" Daniel pushed the words out with some difficulty. "I guess that's a bit silly since we don't have those."

Elin shrugged. "Tok'ra – and goa'uld too – all like fish; I think it's a species thing. They're predators originally, and being aquatic, fish was probably their main food."

It was all too much – too alien. Daniel missed Abydos and Sha're, missed them so much it hurt. Back on Earth, he could handle it; Earth was where he had grown-up, he had friends there, it was familiar ground. He turned away, struggling to contain his emotions.

Silence. Elin let it sit for nearly half a minute, pondering the conversation before she gently touched Daniel's shoulder. "Do you want to tell me? I did not mean to upset you - can I help?"

Daniel flinched. Despite Elin's apparent friendliness, he wasn't near trusting her. He couldn't. "I shouldn't, it isn't… I mean, it… isn't anything… nothing to do with you…"

Elin sat back on her heels. "Problems at your home? Family? Friends?" she suggested gently. When she saw he was about to protest, she held up a hand to quiet him. "No – no, don't. If it anything of that, then you're right. It's nothing to do with me. And if it isn't anything to do with here or the goa'uld, then yes, I guess I can't really help you."

 _The goa'uld._ Daniel almost laughed (entirely without humour) at that. "Oh, it's to do with the goa'uld," he said bitterly, the words slipping out before he could censor them. "Apophis stole my family – my wife, her brother. They're _hosts_ and even if I find them out there, I have _no idea_ how to free them." He caught himself there and fought the temptation to let it all pour out, knowing he would quickly turn accusatory. He couldn't afford that, not where he was right now.

She didn't move, but had Daniel been looking, he would have seen her eyes well with sympathetic tears. "Ah, Daniel. I am so sorry," she whispered, caught by the raw pain in his voice. "But I _can_ help. We will – I promise you – we will help you find them, and free them."

* * *

***!#!#!#! BANG !#!#!#!***

People shouted and screamed and most of the guards ran to investigate. SG-2's distraction went off as planned, and as soon as the guards were gone, Jack and Teal'c moved in. A few staff blasts pinned down the remaining 'jaffa' while Jack found and freed their people.

"Good to see you, sir," muttered Sam, tucking a small chunk of ore into her pocket before following SG-5 out of the mine.

Jack scowled at her. "Quit playing in the dirt, Carter! Get moving!"

The distraction ran out, they all ran for the gate but by the time they got there, pursuit had dropped away and no one disturbed them as they all went home.

ooooooooooooooooo

"So we were watching the mining when we heard someone behind us," Major Kelly focused on General Hammond as he related events. "It was a girl – pretty, all dressed up. She threw herself off the cliff, and that attracted attention. Lots of attention. It turned out she was the princess and real important, and while no one had seen us do anything, we were absolutely in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Hammond listened with little comment as Kelly finished, Sam said she had nothing to add and Jack contributed his side. At the end, it did at least make sense. "Very well. SG-5, we'll delay your next scheduled mission so take an extra day to rest. Captain Carter, Colonel, we'll put a hold on SG-1's next assignment as well. You are all dismissed."

In the corridor outside, Kelly found his way blocked by Jack. With an internal sigh, he asked – carefully – if the Colonel needed anything.

"Oh… not so very much." Jack answered, his expression unfriendly. "Just thought I might _suggest_ you consider if you and your team might benefit from a bit of extra training… in a number of areas."

Kelly knew he and SG-5 had screwed up extra bad by getting Captain Carter incarcerated with them, but after two (two!) days of being put through the mill by a still pissed off Colonel, he _really_ knew they'd screwed up.

* * *

Decla woke slowly, wallowing in the feeling of not needing to come alert in a hurry. Absently, she sifted through Elin's memories of the last few hours. What she saw snapped her out of her lazy mood. **_Elin!_**

~Mmm?~

 **~What were you thinking? We can't promise to help Daniel like that?~** Decla finished assimilating the memories, her agitation rising another notch. **_Amaunet!? Klorel!?_** **If they were minor goa'uld, then perhaps, but we** ** _cannot_** **take action against Apophis's** ** _Queen_** **!~**

Elin was startled. True, she had faltered in her own determination when Daniel had revealed the identies of the goa'uld involved. But Decla's reaction was more than she had anticipated. ~I promised him!~

 **~We can't keep such a promise!~**

~Decla! There must be a way!~ Elin threw herself into the argument, driven as much by the discomfort of being out-of-step with her symbiote partner as by her pride. She had made a commitment, she would not let it go.

Night time came, and Elin and Decla continued to disagree. The most Elin had won so far was for Decla not to mention her disagreement to Daniel.

Another day passed. Remiru scouted this time and confirmed Decla's assessment that Lord Farooq had settled in, probably for some months.

Plans to escape were discussed, each other's ideas shredded and renewed. Daniel's contribution was listened to; a few elements had merit and were incorporated. Another day went by until Remiru and Decla agreed – they did not think to ask if Daniel agreed.

Elin remained stubborn.

It took five more days before Farooq's guard finally started to drop and they could schedule their move. Five more days of Elin wearing her down and Decla gave in. **~I suppose we can use such an incident productively,~** she finally allowed. **~But I will not risk anyone else.~**

* * *

Decla was flattened against the tree, listening hard. Nothing out of place – she signalled Remiru forward.

Remiru went a little past her and then stopped, his turn to listen and then wave them forward.

Daniel was not allowed to take point – he was too noisy and didn't have the more sensitive senses of the Tok'ra.

In this way, the three of them ghosted through the forest and, shortly before dawn, were at the edge of the clearing nearest the stargate. Decla continued further around the edge and they waited as the dark gave way to a misty dawn. There! The human slaves had just emerged. She used her kara'kesh, a concentrated wave of force slamming into a tree shattering the trunk. Just in case the splintering and crash didn't get the desirable reaction, Decla screamed – the shrill, terrified sound of a human woman.

The guards at the gate saw the movement of the tree, couldn't identify it and when the scream came, four ran to investigate. As the slaves had heard the scream and were echoing it as the huge tangle of tree trunk and crown came crashing down only meters from their huts, they were screaming themselves.

Two guards left; both were looking towards the disturbance. Remiru covered the distance in half the time Daniel managed and took down one; the other was more alert and shouted an alarm. Remiru slammed him to the ground with his kara'kesh and dialed the gate; he and Daniel both turned towards Decla.

Evading the humans was easy, evading the guards not so much. The mist helped by keeping visibility poor but when the chaapa'ai sprang to life, there was no hiding it. The guards abruptly stopped firing at _her_ and turned to the two figures in front of the gate. Everything was chaos; she saw Daniel and Remiru go through and reaching it herself, she paused long enough to throw out a wide ribbon of force, tossing all the jaffa back before she stepped through…

… and nearly tripped over Daniel. **"What-!?"** she cried before seeing why they'd stopped. Remiru was injured; a staff blast had hit his side. Muttering about idiots, she hauled them out of the line of the chaapa'ai, before running to dial another world. This one was evidently safe as when they were all through, Decla reached for her healing device.

Remiru pushed it away. **"No. You go see Daniel safe, I will go home."**

Decla winced and sighed. **"Tell… tell Delek I…"**

 **"** **Yes, yes, I'll** ** _tell him._** **"** Remiru gave her a slight smile. **"And I will even tolerate being yelled at by your mate. Now go, so I can too!"**

Daniel was silent, still shocked at what had happened. He knew exactly how Remiru had been hurt; the Tok'ra had stepped between Daniel and the blast, an action utterly unlike everything Daniel knew of the goa'uld. He had believed them before this… mostly. Now, even the little voice inside him that had learned far too much from Jack was convinced.


End file.
